Description for Aralia Black

The distinct leaves of an Aralia Plant can be lacy, rounded, or spinach shaped and the colour of the leaves can be green, white, gold, and cream. The trunks of specimen Aralia Plants, thick, woody, and curving are often unique and exotic looking.Most interior scapers experienced with these plants would agree that many of the cultivars and species are truly superior interior scape plants with phenomenal staying power on the job. Even when used in those hot, dark places referred to in the article. Over the years, aralias have fallen in and out of favour with growers and plants buyers alike.

Common name

Flower colours

Bloom time

Height

Difficulty

spinach leaf

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Height: 25.00 to 50.00 feet
Spread: 10.00 to 15.00 feet

Easy

Planting and care

Aralias grow in a wide variety of leaf forms and colouration. Common leaf forms are the familiar elegant, lacy leaves of the Ming, the rounded leaflets of the chicken gizzard, those of the large, aptly named dinner plate aralia and the tightly crinkled leaves of the black or spinach leaf aralia. Variegations run from gold, cream or white, to solid green, and range from dark green, tending to almost black with some being nearly burgundy- coloured in their leaves and petioles.

The really attractive aspects, however, are the massive woody trunks and sweeping, curving branches and heavy, dense and somewhat shaggy foliage of the specimen plants.

Sunlight

Soil

Water

Temperature

Fertilizer

Aralia Plants can survive in low light conditions, but grow faster and produce more leaves in medium to bright indirect light.

Aralia Plants need a peat-based, well-aerated, light soil. This type of quick draining potting medium prevents water from accumulating in the soil and causing the roots of an Aralia Plant to disintegrate.

Allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before watering an Aralia Plant. In low light conditions, an Aralia Plant may need water as little as every 2-3 weeks.

The plant is comfortable at ordinary room temperatures of between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18-29 C.).

Fertilize every two weeks with liquid house plant fertilizer in spring and summer and monthly in fall and winter.

Caring for Aralia Black

Adequate watering is of course, essential, but over-watering is above all the greatest cause of the demise of virtually all Aralias.

It is generally thought that plants will thrive when kept on the dry side.

False aralia doesnt like to be moved.

A sudden change in location causes the leaves to drop off.

Trimming the tips of an Aralia Plant helps promote new growth.

Handpick as many of the mealybugs from the plant as possible.

Treat the areas near the base of the leaves with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol every five days, especially where you see the cottony masses of insects.

Insecticidal soap is helpful when mealybugs are in the crawling stage, before they attach to the foliage and assume their cottony appearance.